


‘Til Truth Do We Part

by Kleptomaniac_Can_Opener



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adoption, Canon-Typical Violence, Discrimination, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Harassment, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:14:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28290711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kleptomaniac_Can_Opener/pseuds/Kleptomaniac_Can_Opener
Summary: A common chunin like Iruka doesn’t get consideration when it comes to adoption, but he won’t let that stop him from parenting Naruto.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 12
Kudos: 82





	‘Til Truth Do We Part

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zeenell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeenell/gifts).



The situation had been blown wide open, but few had cared to listen let alone be concerned about it. Fortunately, the Hokage was one of those who did care and measures had been taken to correct things. But the damage had been done.

Naruto had been moved from the orphanage to his own apartment, and like hell was Iruka going to let the small blond suffer alone.

The chunin had made his complaints about Naruto being neglected or worse, but everybody he went to either said it wasn’t their business or that the brunet was being paranoid. Children got hurt all the time, after all. No child deserved to be mistreated, especially not by the people they were supposed to trust with their safety.

Iruka had tried to convince the Adoption Board to allow him to take in Naruto, but he received a resounding NO. They said that Naruto couldn’t go to just anyone, he was too much of a risk, and how would a chunin without a partner or clan look after the boy? Certainly he didn’t plan to rely on a nanny with someone in the blonde’s situation as a beast container.

It had stung to get verbally slapped with his lack of status and resources.

“I understand, I’ll return once my situation has changed.” The Board was full of expressions of disbelief and pity, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from doing what he knew was right. Naruto needed more than a place to live and a paltry living allowance, he needed someone he could call family. Iruka vowed as he left that Naruto will at least be able to call him a friend.

As a teaching assistant Iruka didn’t make much money, and the missions he could take as a chunin didn’t make him much more either. Still, he scraped together what he could to get the boy ‘housewarming gifts’ so the blond could save his own money. The apartment he had been assigned was minimally furnished, livable but nowhere near ideal—a few luxuries would make a world of difference for the child so he didn’t feel so isolated.

The brunet had thought it would be fine to do things this way. Why should anyone care what an unimportant chunin did with his time and money? He knew the law, that he couldn’t tell Naruto the truth of things, and he had no intention of breaking the oath they had all taken that day. He only wanted to help someone who was sad and lonely. He knew how it felt after all. But now he was receiving stern letters, unscheduled reviews, and unsolicited visits. They all centered around what his business with Naruto was, as if he was the one in the wrong.

There were plenty of talented ninja they could use to investigate him if they really thought he was up to no-good. This was harassment and intimidation.

Iruka kept his breathing deep and even as he was followed on a trip from the marketplace. It had been a long day of grading tests and fighting children. He wanted to make dinner then share it with Naruto, he was sure the kid had to be eating nothing but ramen again. That was the problem with allowing little ones to do most of their own shopping, they hadn’t learned how to balance their diets yet.

“I said I’m not talking to you any further on this matter,” the chunin reiterated for what had to be the tenth time in five minutes.  
“Umino-san, we just want things to go smoot-”

The brunet spun on his heel, eyes sparking with his restrained frustration at the other chunin. He wasn’t one that the teaching assistant knew personally, he was an assistant to someone on the Adoption Board. Specifically, he was the assistant to one of the ninja who had shown disdain for Naruto’s existence. “I stated my case months ago and I have no plans to change my mind,” he ground out. He snapped back around, face hot with anger. The other man kept following him.  
“You need to see sense,” the Board assistant continued like the last few moments hadn’t happened. “You don’t have any special techniques to pass along as a chunin, and you’re single on top of that.”

Iruka had almost tuned the annoying man out until he heard that damnable word again. Dark brown eyes locked on someone up ahead. There was something familiar about the person, but more importantly he was in the uniform of a jonin. The idea was bad, but he was furious and hurt and he just wanted to stick it to the people who wanted an innocent child to suffer.

“Who the hell’s single?” Iruka jogged ahead and latched onto the arm of a ninja with moon silver hair. “Darling, I’m so glad you’re here!” The look of surprise in the man’s one visible eye was hilarious, and he was glad that the Board assistant couldn’t see the jonin’s face. But quickly that expression melted away to nonchalance, then he turned his head to glance over his shoulder.  
“Is this guy bothering you, hon?”

The Board assistant screeched to a halt, his eyes as big as a Fuma shuriken. “H-Hatake-jonin!”

Iruka nearly blanched. How had he managed to grab one of the least approachable men in the village and why was said man playing along?

“You’re Yamazaki Tsutomu, aren’t you?” Hatake’s tone was deceptively relaxed. Iruka could feel the coil in the arm he was wrapped around.  
“Yes, Hatake-jonin, I’m honored that yo-”  
“What business do you have with my partner?”

Yamazaki flushed with embarrassment and tried to buy himself time by clearing his throat. “Excuse me, I hadn’t realized…we just finished our business, I’ll get out of your way!” The ninja flickered away.

Iruka was tempted to sag with relief but he remembered the situation he was in and pulled away. “Sorry about that, thanks for your help.”  
“Yamazaki-chunin works for the adoption agency.” That black eye had turned back to the chunin, staring hard into brown. “I’ve heard that their asses have been on fire, seems that’s been over you.”

It was Iruka’s turn to flush with embarrassment. “I said I’m sorry.” He reached into his pocket and produced a business card. “Here, I can’t afford much but I can buy you a drink or something in thanks when we’re both free.” The brunet didn’t wait for a reply, instead hurrying off to escape the awkward situation.

He slammed his apartment door closed then slid down to the floor right there in the entryway. “I’m such an idiot.” There was no way the ruse was going to work for long, at best the people on the Adoption Board would assume he was a short term fling. Someone like Hatake-jonin was too good for somebody like plain, weak Umino Iruka. He had nothing to offer the pale man.

Iruka climbed back to his feet, switched his shoes for his slippers, and shuffled to his small kitchen. There was no point in worrying about it now, what was done was done.

__

It was during his lunchbreak a few days later when he received a text message. The teaching aid jumped as the buzz surprised him, much to his friend and fellow TA’s amusement. “Hush, Mizuki.” He stuck his tongue at his childhood friend before pulling out his phone to check the message. “Eh?”  
“What is it, a secret admirer?” The other man was smiling around the potato chip in his mouth, dark green eyes watching his friend.  
“Uh, no, nothing like that, don’t be ridiculous.” The brunet slid his phone back into his hidden pocket. “Just someone cashing in a small favor, I owe them a drink.”  
“Asuma, huh. That’s no fun at all,” the man complained, bone white hair brushing over his shoulders as he shook his head in disappointment.  
“I don’t exist for you amusement,” Iruka pouted.  
“Sure you do,” Mizuki joked, flicking a chip crumb at the other.  
“I’m going to tell Tsubaki on you,” the brunet countered, grinning when Mizuki erk’ed at the mention of his fiancée.

The bell rang, summoning them back to their assigned classrooms. “I’m leaving directly after classes, so I’ll see you tomorrow, Mizuki.”  
“Don’t get too bad of a hangover, Iruka.”

Iruka was distracted as he graded papers. There was no way Hatake was short on cash, so that he would actually have Iruka make good on his offer of thanks was odd. The Hatake clan had a decent estate in Konohagakure, and Kakashi was the only Hatake he was aware of still in the Hidden Leaf. From what he knew, there were no rumors or scandals of the man involving money or love affairs. His only known vices were his chronic tardiness and his terrible habit of reading saucy romance books in public.

He dropped his pen. Was he…was he looking for more than a drink? The chunin shook himself then rubbed his eyes. “No, that’s nonsense.” Jonin had their pick of partners, there wasn’t a single one that didn’t have a line of willing bodies to warm their beds if they showed a hint of interest.

With a sigh Iruka started grading again. Maybe Hatake-jonin wanted to talk to him about what happened. He couldn’t imagine why, but it was the most reasonable explanation.

~*~

The bar Hatake had said to meet him at was comfortably packed, and while Iruka wasn’t much of a bar hopper he didn’t feel out of place going inside. The silverheaded ninja was easy to spot in the dim lighting. He was sitting at a booth in the far corner, likely for the privacy. Iruka slid into the seat across from him. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.” The jonin shrugged then signaled towards the bartender.

The chunin was surprised when two cups of hot sake were brought over.

“Why do you want to adopt Uzumaki-kun?” The question shocked Iruka.  
“You looked into me?” he hissed, angry at the breech of his privacy.  
“It wasn’t difficult, you gave me your card.” Hatake rested his elbows on the table and propped his covered chin on his clasped hands. “Umino Iruka, born May 26th, age 19, 178 cm and 66.2 kg, blood type O positive, currently working as a teaching assistant at the Ninja Academy under Kiga-sensei.”

Iruka cut him off. “Alright, I get it! You’re a jonin, of course information gathering is simple for you. What I don’t understand is why you bothered looking me up.”  
“Yamazaki-chunin isn’t the type to sexually harass others, but he follows orders.” That was of course why the jonin had reasoned that the Board assistant had been on Iruka’s tail for work-related purposes. “Talk, chunin, what do you want with Uzumaki-kun?” The brunet scowled.  
“That’s none of your business.”  
“You made it my business when you pulled me into your ruse,” the jonin argued. “Yamazaki-chunin would have reported to his superiors that we’re together.”

The brunet snapped to his feet, cheeks bright with shame and anger. “I’ll tell them we broke up. Goodbye.” He left the booth, but a strong hand grabbed his wrist and he was yanked back. “Hey!” A long finger pulled down the black mask as he was forced close.  
“Play along.” Chapped lips closed over Iruka’s.

Heat surged through his body as he was pulled flush against the taller man and powerful hands clasped his hips. Iruka pressed his palms to the pale ninja’s chest to gain some breathing room but he didn’t bulge a bit.

A presence glided up to them. “A one-night stand, Kakashi-san?” purred a too sweet voice. “Why bother when you could share my bed?”

The chunin gasped when Hatake pulled his mouth away, and he was so glad that the kunoichi couldn’t see his face since his back was to her. The jonin fixed his mask to prevent her from seeing his face either. “I said I’m taken, Komimi-san.” She made a sound that was less than flattering.  
“Not to this brat,” she growled. Her almond eyes were not impressed by what she could see. “He’s a pathetic chunin.”  
“Don’t insult my partner.” Kakashi’s voice dipped lower, there was a dangerous edge to every syllable. Komimi tensed and the pair of jonin had a silent stare off before the woman stepped away.  
“I apologize,” she ground out.

Hatake wrapped an arm around Iruka’s waist and walked out of the establishment with him. For several minutes neither man said anything and the brunet had no idea if they were going anywhere specific. “I take it she’s been chasing you for a while,” the brunet finally said more as a statement than a question. He knew any number of people who would have given a limb to be chosen by a beautiful and aggressive kunoichi like her.  
“Ah, she’s bad at taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

Iruka scratched the scar that laid across the bridge of his nose. “She was right though…I would make a bad match when you have better options waiting.” He was trying not to think about that kiss. For Hatake it had been purely performative, to cast the illusion of a relationship well beyond the level of acting they had indulged in when they had met. It had been a while since Iruka had been intimate with anybody and it had felt nice, but it hadn’t meant anything.

“Self-depreciation is a bad quality,” the jonin commented.  
“I’m only stating a fact. Where are we going?” he asked to change the subject.  
“My place, we still need to talk.”

The brunet cursed under his breath, he had hoped Kakashi had forgotten his line of inquiry but of course the chunin wasn’t so lucky. Besides, the silver man would have made a poor jonin if he got sidetracked so easily.

The Hatake family grounds were clean and well-kept, if a little worn. Jonin were in high demand, Hatake probably didn’t see a need for retouching things if he wasn’t going to be home often. It was a nice, traditional home but it was too big for one person alone. Iruka wondered if the pale man was ever lonely here by himself.

Iruka was led to a couch covered in a fresh throw blanket. The chunin decided not to comment, there was no point in antagonizing the jonin, even by accident. He was dropped onto the sofa and stayed there as Kakashi sat at the other end. “I’ve known Naruto-kun since a few years after…That.” There was no need to explain what That was. “He was four at the time and I had just come back from a mission.” The brunet stared down at his hands on his lap as he thought back. “He was clearly being bullied by the older children, but the Matron didn’t care. He…he was just a baby.”  
“You interfered,” Kakashi concluded. The chunin nodded.

“I’ve done what I can: food, clothes, toys, a safe place to go…but…” His hands curled into fists. He felt hot from suppressed fury and a deep sadness that made him want to weep. Hatake’s low voice cut the silence that had fallen.  
“I can guess why he was moved to an apartment early.” Of course the jonin knew that too. He probably knew even more than Iruka did and he was the one who uncovered the scandal.

The silver ninja leaned back in his seat with his head tilted to rest atop the backrest. The man’s exposed eye was staring in Iruka’s direction despite the casual position. “You have no interest in his status at all.” Another statement. That eye shifted to gaze up at the ceiling. “No wonder you’re still a chunin.”

Iruka wasn’t sure how to take that—it seemed to be a compliment and an insult all rolled into one. “Well excuse me for being a chunin.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So what about you? A jonin shouldn’t need a useless chunin to play boyfriend.” He had been hoping for some sort of reaction, but Hatake was still wearing a poker face. Damn jonin.

“You’re not strong enough to take advantage of the situation.” There was no hesitation in the reply and that pissed Iruka off.  
“Asshole.”

Hatake continued like Iruka hadn’t said anything. “I’ll make you a deal.” The brunet raised a brow.  
“I’m listening.”  
“Komimi-san would have spread word about my involvement with you, it strengthens your position as well.” His black eye slid back to Iruka. The chunin blushed and looked away. “I want my absence of a love life left alone, and you want to adopt Uzumaki-kun. This isn’t a deal you can turn down, is it, Umino-sensei?”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to see my blog, art, and social media links [click here!](https://twitter.com/DawnEastpoint/status/1259773504909606912)


End file.
